Of course Christina covers the basics of FMQing, but she wraps the concepts up into small project ideas. I don’t know about you, but this would have made my first halting steps in FMQing a lot less intimidating.

I tell students all the time that practice is the best teacher, but I think I’ll adopt Christina’s approach to the idea of playing on small projects as another little nudge.

Several of the 24 projects in the book are on my list to try, but a few really made it to the top for Christmas gifts, like this fish bowl purse!

And these low rider bowls.

My favorite part of her book, though, is the personality behind it. Many books feel stiff and prescribed, so it’s refreshing when you pick one up and know you’d like to spend more time learning from that individual (it’s good news she also teaches FMQ in Portland).

Christina sparks creativity well beyond the book’s projects, and isn’t that what a really good book should do? She got me asking what other small projects I could apply FMQing practice to, like the backs of oven mitts for an upcoming holiday gift class.

I was able to recycle a quilted panel that was originally intended for a long pillow. I had combined FMQing with straight line quilting and didn’t care for my original plan, so I applied it to her bucket idea for practice in construction. I was pleased to have an item I was no longer excited about turn into something fun and functional!

When I teach FMQ I bring a few books for students to browse though for inspiration and First Steps to Free-Motion Quiltingis honestly the book I’ve been looking for to add to that pile. Because let’s face it, fearless is a great way to look at it. It’s only quilting after all.

Win a copy of First Steps to Free-Motion Quilting! Leave a comment by Tuesday, October 8th by noon-ish PST and one lucky winner will be drawn via random.org. A United States winner can choose either an eBook or a hard copy, and an international winner can win an eBook.

I am very excited about this book and would love to use it for practice! The class I took recommend no books or patterns past the four shown and said to practice. So far from where I want to be using FMQ! Hope to win a book for help! Thanks to you and Stash Books

I m new in patchwork and i m so glad meeting you and all your beautiful quilts
by your blog- unfortunatly i can t follow your courses cos i live in France . But i purchase your book- quilting modern- i am keenly waiting for it.i am fan of your work.
i love freemotion quilting but i am terrifyed to try -i never do-i think i could try to practice on this fun little projects of this book.
thanks for your postsAll my nice and best whishes for you and your family

Really like the concept of this book. The projects seem like a painless way to gain skill and put in FMQ practice instead of wrestling with a large quilt or worse, not completing a large project because of the frustration with your lack of skill.

I would absolutely love to have this book. I have been practicing FMQing for years. I still don’t feel confident, but have recently bit the bullet & quilted a quilt using the stipple stitch. This is a great idea to practice on little projects.

That is one awesomely simple, fun and do-able approach to beginner (?) fmq. Love it and how you took it “to the pavement” with your personal projects. Definitely must add this one to my library, also!!! Win it or buy it……either way, it will be coming to this home!!! Hugs…….

This sounds like just the book I need! One goal for this next year is to learn free motion quilting. Actually, I just want to learn to machine quilt for starters, and this book sounds like a great help! Thanks for the giveaway!

I am so excited about this book! I’m moving to a tiny little town this weekend from a big city and now won’t be able to take my quilts to the quilter down the street. I’ve decided to learn to FMQ myself so this book is coming out at the perfect time. Thanks for the chance to win!

I would love to win this book. I am working on putting some orphan blocks and abandoned projects into lap quilts for Margaret’s Hope Chest, and this book would help allot—I could graduate from straight line quilting done with my walking foot and painter’s tape.

This is the book for me! I am ready to try FMQ (I think!) and what a wonderful resource this would be! “No one will notice anyway” and “Everything looks better after you wash it” just might become my new mottos!!

Sounds like thIs book is a great approach to FMQ. I have always made a 12″ square to practice on, but resented the waste of the fabric and time. This is a real “well, duh” moment for me. Now I can practice and not feel like I am wasting fabric and time, yea!

Thanks for the giveaway. I am in a phase where I’m finally trying to make a dent in backed up tops and I’m on twin top number 2 in a few weeks with FMQ on my machine. It’s both exhausting and exciting.

I bought my Juki specifically so I could do free motion quilting. Yet, I am rather intimidated with the prospect, so all I have really done yet is some straight line quilting. This book looks like a great help!

thank-you for offering this book. have ordered liberty of london fabric and picked out a patterns from your quilting book….now to learn piecing quilts and then to learn free motion quilting…its going to be an adventure!

Smaller projects take that overwhelming feeling out of fmq–and give us quilters a chance to practice and be successful with a finished project at the same time. Thanks for the chance to win this interesting book.

I have been making quilts for years but have never actually “quilted” any of them. I have no idea how to do it and sending them off to have them done is a real expense. I think it would be wonderful to learn how!

i just starting back into quilting after only knowing how to hand quilt with my Mom as a child. I have her old singer machine now (you know that famous black cast iron model) that sews beautiful straight stitches. This book would be great to learn how to be creative on a machine that is so primitive

Wow! You just inspired me to use one of the panels that I can’t recall why I purchased it in the first place to practice on. I might even make a baby quilt out of it. Thank you for the chance to win a copy of the book.

What an inspiring post… love to hear that it’s only a quilt, it makes giving it a go a less daunting prospect! Thank you.
Also thank you for letting me comment using the FB details – have often felt frustrated that I couldn’t comment as I don’t blog! Double Hurrah today!